The Timekeeper's Beginning
by mijack43
Summary: Every Timekeeper had to start their training somewhere. In Raymond Leon's case he was hired as a guard to protect the daughter of a wealthy and well-respected businessman from New Greenwich. The job seemed simple but not all things in life turn out the way they should...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, this is the first fanfic I've ever written so I'm open to criticism and I hope you guys really enjoy it. This was just some little idea I had in the back of my head and I hope to make this a multi-chapter story :)**

Chapter 1:

Raymond Leon stared at the bright, white ceiling while trying to remember who he was. It was his daily routine in the morning because he always believed that he would wake up back in the dirty, old apartment in Dayton instead of the modern servants room in New Greenwich. He never thought he actually got out of the ghetto, it was a dream that no other Dayton man had accomplished until now. But after a decade living in the heights of the rich in-time was he still considered a man of the streets?

So, who was Raymond Leon? The simple guard of a spoiled princess or the man who ran from his life in the depths of society?

He didn't understand why he thought of such things like this in his life. Isn't this what he always wanted? Maybe it was the long years away from the ghetto that made him realize how he could never truly leave it behind. Or maybe he was just getting too old. He was turning forty after all.

"Ugh, forty," Leon groaned. He reluctantly pulled himself off the comfortable mattress and proceeded to prepare himself for the long day ahead of him with his clean suit awaiting for him and the morning coffee calling his name. He wondered what the princess would want to do today. Whatever it was he hoped he would survive the interminable hours spent at the mall with her or her unusual rebellious behavior that placed her as a freak among groups of friends in New Greenwich. It wasn't that she was crazy; it was just that she was different. Whether it was a good thing or not Raymond didn't care, he just wanted to make sure the bitch wouldn't pull anything on him today.

Just as he about to take a sip of his black coffee he heard a scream. True to his instincts Raymond ran to Lysandra's room in record time.

"Lysandra,"Raymond banged on the door. "It's me, open up."

The petite brunette opened up but hid her body awkwardly behind the door while glaring at Raymond. She hated it that he was always on her like a dog. Sure in a way he was her watchdog but come on she couldn't even put on a dress without him thinking that she was stabbed or something.

"Leon I'm fine," Lysandra said dully.

Leon gave her a look of deep confusion. "Then why did you scream?"

Lysandra gave him one of her famous eye-rolls when what she really wanted to do was laugh in his face. "I think my dress doesn't fit anymore."

Now it was Leon's turn to give her an eye-roll. The girl could buy all the dresses she wants and yet she obsesses over the one that doesn't fit her. No wonder Leon couldn't make a relationship last with any of these uptight New Greenwich women.

Lysandra glared hard at Leon with her dark eyes. "Don't give me that look Raymond Leon. If you understood women better maybe you wouldn't be such a loner all the time and then I could finally give you the nights off," she said with a hint of annoyance.

"Another woman in my life Lysandra? Please I can barely keep up with you and you expect me to handle two women at the same time. No thanks but I'll pass," Leon retorted.

Lysandra turned her nose up at him. He was such a hardass. "Fine be that way. Now if you're done judging the women population's behavior can you please help me with this dress?"

"I thought you said it didn't fit."

"Doesn't mean I can't suck in my stomach or wear one of those corsets I found in the basement. So are you gonna help me or not?"

Leon sighed deeply and nodded. He stepped into the gigantic room that somehow, unlike its occupier, was clean and classy with its shabby chic designs and everything in place. Either the maid was a good cleaner or deep down Lysandra had OCD. But Raymond didn't know which option it could be.

Lysandra gathered up her luscious waves in her hands and turned her exposed back towards Raymond. "Zip me up," she demanded.

Raymond took hold of the tiny zipper and tried to pull it up but it was stuck. _Damn_, he thought, _I'm a trained guard that could kill a man in a few minutes but I can't zip up a simple dress...pathetic_. "Do you really need to try on a dress this early in the morning?"

"I have a party at Henry Hamilton's place in three days, so I need to find something to wear and usually this is the only time in the day I have to do anything in peace so I thought it was better now than never. Besides Leon this isn't any dress it's a vintage _Chanel_," she said. Exaggerating the last part a bit like her silly friends would do. Among her group the girls would always brag about the brands they wore and made it into a secret contest to see who could wear (and afford) the best brands.

Leon smiled faintly as he knew her habits of making fun of the pompous young ladies of New Greenwich. It was odd that even though she was born into this rich world of the grand parties and all the time in the world that she would act this way towards her people. In a way Leon felt sort of proud of her.

"Is it up yet?" Lysandra asked.

Raymond was about to tell her to give up on this ridiculous dress when he finally got the idiotic zipper to cooperate and zipped it up for her. "Well I just wasted valuable minutes of my life," he complained. "But it finally worked."

Lysandra twirled around in the dress and raised her brows at Raymond to ask whether she looked amazing or not. Raymond knew better than to lie to her if she didn't look good but today she looked stunning. The navy blue dress was overlaid with beautiful black lace that flowed softly over Lysandra's delicate curves and the ribbon pinched her waist so it could show off the hourglass figure Lysandra kept hidden in her baggy shirts and jeans.

"You look..."Leon started.

"Ravishing?" she finished for him.

Leon shook his head. "Nope."

Lysandra's heart sank. "Do I look that..."

Leon smiled again while continuing on with his last sentence. "You look astonishing."

"Thank you Leon," Lysandra smiled widely. "And while you're here I should tell you that I am not letting you come to the party with me unless..."

"Unless what?" Leon asked after she trailed off her sentence.

"Unless you wear something other than that ghastly guard uniform. I mean that's all you ever wear. Black pants, black shoes, black tie and a white shirt. Don't you have anything else in that closet of yours or do I need to give you some fashion tips?"

Raymond pinched his nose between his fingers and groaned deeply. _Just when I thought this was going to be an easy day and already she judges me like she's my wife._ "I'm paid to keep watch over you not to play dress-up. Will you at least compensate me with the twelve minutes I spent trying to zip up your dress?"

"Fine," Lysandra sighed dramatically. She grabbed Leon's right wrist and waited for the green numbers on his left arm to begin counting. Though Leon was paid daily by her father (he gained three days per day) Lysandra made it a habit of theirs to reward his patience whenever she had one of her 'moments'. This would not be the first nor last time she would ever give him a bit of her time and honestly it didn't bother her. What really bothered her was that Leon barely had a year on his clock while she already had a decade on hers.

"Raymond," Lysandra began to say.

Leon wondered if something was worrying her. She rarely called him Raymond. It was at times when she most needed someone to talk to that she'd always turn to him and call him only by his first name. Also, whenever she was alone with Raymond she would show her true nature to him. Sure to outsiders she was the rebellious daughter of famous businessman Reid Steinwald but to Raymond and the rest of the servants in the house she was the girl who couldn't find her place in society.

"Raymond, don't you think this is unfair," she said while looking at their very distinct clocks.

Leon shook his head, but not to motion that he disagreed with her views on the time system. What he wanted to say was this was the way things were going to be no matter what anyone did and there were little to no chances that he would ever have a decade on his clock. It wasn't an impossible task but it order to obtain so much time he would have to either: work really hard (and probably die poor anyways), manage a successful business or marry someone that came from time.

Although he had many thoughts on the matter of this unfair way of life he said all his thoughts in just one simple sentence.

"It's the way it has to be."

Lysandra's face showed that she wasn't content with his bland answer. Yet she didn't press him on for any details. She, instead, waved him away.

"You should go have some breakfast. I'll, um, inform you when I want to go somewhere," she said, unsure of how to forget about their odd conversation.

"Alright then," Leon replied. Before he closed the door behind him he looked at Lysandra and said one last thing. "Remember I'll be there if you need me Lysandra."

Lysandra smiled. "You've been there for me for almost ten years Raymond. Watching over me day by day. Of course I know you'll always be there. Believe me I know."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"If those girls talk about one more guy's ass and how good it looked I swear I'll shoot myself with my gun," Jean complained.

If anyone in this close group of guards had it bad it was definitely Jean. He complained non-stop about Emily Goldstein's spontaneous tantrums that occurred every five minutes and how they caused the recent threat from his employer to cut his salary in half unless he obeyed his precious daughter's every desire. The only way he could go through with this hellish nightmare was remembering his carefree years in European Zone 6 when trying to survive the every call of a spoiled rich girl.

"Leon," Jean continued on with his speech. "You have no idea how lucky you are to have been hired by the Steinwalds. I heard they were a bunch of oddballs but hell I rather be with your kid than mine."

The other guards laughed at the foolish Jean who just looked down shyly at his feet. Even Raymond couldn't help but chuckle at his close companion.

"Guards!" shrieked the blonde that was walking in front of the guards. "Hurry up, we have much more places to go. If you don't do as I say I swear my daddy will hear of this."

All the guards rolled their eyes at Roxanne Overton once her back was turned. It was pathetic of her to think that the guards would do anything she wished for. She was a disgrace to all the blondes who wanted to end the offending stereotypes they could not remove in years. Yet what confused the guards most about this girl was the ability to still make friends even though she would boss them all around as if she was the leader of them all. To be honest the one who should act that way was Lysandra since she was the richest of the four girls but instead she was the most down-to-earth of the New Greenwich ladies.

One day, out of curiosity, Leon approached Lysandra on the matter and she said that she befriended the girl mostly out of pity when she came fresh out of her old home in Zone 3, Highland Park without knowing who would be willing to show her the way in New Greenwich. Even then Leon could not believe how they tolerated her outrageous behavior, flirting with just about anyone including Raymond himself at one of her birthday celebrations after taking one too many tequila shots. Leon shivered at the disgusting memories appearing in his head of that miserable night.

Lysandra stole a quick glance at the guards trudging obediently behind them with a slight look of irritation in their tired eyes. She felt horrible whenever she and her friends dragged them to whichever places they wanted for endless hours without even considering how this affected their guards. Lysandra knew Leon's reasons for taking the job as her guard but she still thought this was an inescapable hell for them until they were admitted for Timekeeper training.

"Girls, I feel a little tired. I think I'm going to bail this time," Lysandra suddenly announced.

"Lysandra you can't just leave us now. Come on stay for a little while longer," spoke up the quietest of the group, Marilyn Wright.

"I really can't Marilyn, believe me. Besides my dad's bound to come back from the European zones some day and I want to make sure I'm there to welcome him home. Isn't that right Leon?" Lysandra said with an innocent look on her face.

The three girls glanced back at the tall, cold (yet handsome) man as he gave a slight nod with his head. "Of course it is Miss Steinwald." The girls looked at Lysandra, a little hurt by her sudden and quick leaving but they knew they would not be able to convince her to stay. Lysandra was known for being an extremely stubborn person and no one was able to change her thinking on anything, well excluding those special people that Lysandra greatly admired.

"Well I guess we'll see you another day right?" Marilyn asked.

Lysandra smiled at her best friend. "Yeah, of course we will. Hamilton's party is right around the corner. Then, maybe, after that we'll see each other at another party. I was thinking I might throw a welcoming back party for my dad. Just to announce his arrival in a big way ya know"

Marilyn, Emily and Roxanne all nodded approvingly and glowed with glee at the possibility of showing off their riches at another social event. They acted quiet and regal sometimes but they were born party animals. Five minutes gushing about an event that wasn't even planned yet went by and the girls finally exchanged hugs and bid farewell to Lysandra. Even the other guards shook Raymond's hand to say goodbye.

After a few minutes of silence while walking to the parking garage Raymond broke the awkward silence between them by speaking up first. "Did you really have to go or were you just bored of them?"

Lysandra pondered about her answer for a couple of seconds before answering Leon. Should she tell him that she _sort of _did it for him? Whether she told him the truth or not she doubted he would care but he'd probably rub it in her face if she explained why she did it. She could lie but Raymond had been with her for almost a decade now so he knew everything about her and vice versa.

"Will you question me if I tell you the truth?" Lysandra finally said.

"Of course," Leon replied. "I find it unusual for you to leave so early and knowing you I'm guessing it wasn't because you were tired. You're a terrible liar Lysandra and I'm not so easy to fool as your little friends."

"Fine but please don't judge me," Lysandra sighed. "I did it for you. I felt horrible and inconsiderate having my guard follow me around like an obedient little puppy while I waste my time in shopping malls. Just look at me, I went there for like three hours and I'm leaving empty-handed. I should've at least boughten something to make this shopping trip worthwhile."

Leon inspected the girl as she looked away from his hypnotizing blue eyes and blushed scarlet on her pale cheeks. He thought perhaps one day he would understand her kind behavior that everyone in New Greenwich obviously lacked. She and her family were the only people from time, that he knew of, that had this charitable trait and actually donated to the poor timelines in run-down Dayton.

"What?" Lysandra said as she caught Leon staring at her with curiosity.

"You'd think that I'd be used to your odd personality after all these years together, yet every day that goes by you surprise me with something new about yourself. I've never met anyone like you or your father, giving time to the poor when everyone else thinks we're just a bunch of unavoidable parasites. I mean there were a couple of nice, humble people in Dayton but I guess it's not the same anymore from when I was there... but still Lysandra there's no one quite like you, " Raymond responded sincerely.

Lysandra blushed even deeper at the sweet compliment Raymond gave her. "Thank you Raymond. You know if you acted this way more often I wouldn't be biting your head off all the time."

"That's true but where's the fun in that?" Raymond replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you know about fun Raymond Leon? You're practically married to your job as a guard. You don't have time for fun. And don't say that reading is fun because that's just a very sad lie. What you need is something or _someone_ that brings out the wild side of you," Lysandra retorted, a hint of playfulness in her tone.

"Jesus Christ not this again," Leon groaned. "Look you're a handful already. I don't need another person to be added into this complicated equation."

"What are you so scared of Raymond? Afraid that you'll madly in love with a woman or fall head over heels for her?" Lysandra said with a fake dramatic gasp.

Leon rolled his eyes. "Why do you want me to be in a relationship so bad? Are you feeling guilty that I never have a life outside of you and your family?"

Lysandra stopped dead in her tracks. _Shit, he figured it out._

Leon looked at Lysandra realizing that he was able to figure her out before she even got her plan into the works. "So that's it? Lysandra do you ever stop worrying about how I deal with my life? Here's a thought, why don't you stick to yours and I'll stick to mine."

"Are you angry with me for trying to give you some liberty? I never wanted a guard, I never wanted to tie someone down to me, yet here you are and I can't help but feel like... like I'm using you," Lysandra mumbled softly.

Leon had an acute sense of hearing so he heard her every honest, unselfish word. _Like I said Lysandra, there's no one quite like you._ "Come on I'll be fine. Besides you know why I'm doing this. I want to become a Timekeeper and this is my only way to prove to the Chief that I can make it. Just help me go through with this and soon you won't have to deal with me any longer. Got it?"

She nodded at Raymond and continued the walk through the parking garage with Raymond guiding her through the twisted angles and long rows of unfamiliar cars until they reached the pearl white, vintage Rolls Royce car in the lower levels. Raymond moved swiftly in front of Lysandra to open up the back door for her like a true gentlemen. If his late mother ever taught him anything it was to always act like a proper gentleman in front of a lady. _No wonder everyone in Dayton made fun of me, but hey, at least all the girls came running to me._

"Thank you," said Lysandra as she glanced appreciatively up at Raymond.

"Your welcome," he replied as he slid into the driver's seat. "Where to now?"

"Home," Lysandra put it out simply.

"Home," Raymond nodded.

"Well at least that's what society would name it. I rather think dystopia is more like it. Don't you?"

Leon sighed. "I'll get you there in a few minutes."

"Ok," Lysandra replied, a little worried. "By the way Raymond, please don't speed. Just please."

In the rear view mirror Lysandra saw Raymond's sly smirk and she knew that once more she'd be in for the ride of her life. Years living in the ghetto Raymond never got the chance to drive a car... until now. Whenever he got the chance he was a maniac behind the wheel and Lysandra had to remind herself to not climb over the backseat to pull on the hand brake.

_We are paying him way too much time for him to pull this kind of stunt _was Lysandra's last thought before she held onto the door for dear life as they sped off to the Steinwald house leaving behind in the dust the poor rich people of New Greenwich.


	3. Chapter 3

**Guys, I'm so sorry that I kept you guys waiting for this chapter for like 2 weeks now 'cause I've been too lazy and been making sure it was perfect (though it is the smallest chapter) before I uploaded it but hey at least it wasn't a month or two right? Anyway, here you go chapter 3 is up and I swear that chapter 4 will be up as soon as possible. So enjoy!**

Chapter 3:

_ Where in the hell are you?_

Walking around aimlessly throughout the Hamilton mansion, Raymond Leon was looking for any sign that could indicate him on Lysandra's whereabouts. He lost track of her after he turned (_just for a freaking second_!) to another fellow guard to ask for help on a technical difficulty his earpiece was having. Then, he looked back at his right side and, to his surprise, Lysandra was gone. So here he was, without even a small clue on where the person he was hired to protect was at.

_When I find you, I'm going to give you a piece of my mind Lysandra! I swear I will!_

After wandering the 3 floors of Hamilton's house for the fifth (_or was this the sixth?_) time in a row, Leon could think of only one more place where Lysandra could be hiding. The gardens. The same gardens that were also a labyrinth.

"My lucky day," Raymond joked to himself. He ruffled the back of his hair as he imagined going into that dreaded area. "Maybe after this I better quit."

Raymond tried to remember the way to this particular fountain Lysandra loved that was near the middle of the gardens. He couldn't deny that the fountain of angels was an exquisite statue but all this trouble was caused for a fountain? No excuse was good enough for Lysandra to explain why she had abandoned him in that pathetic party and not told him a single word on where to find her.

As he made his way through the crowds of the high society gentlemen and ladies unto the green pathways of the gardens, Leon had a sudden thought roaming through his mind. _Was it a right at the statue of Aphrodite or a left? _Leon immediately stopped in his tracks and thought hard about which way he should go. He started to veer to the right for a couple of mintues and instantly (as if God had heard his prayers) he found the brunette in the navy blue dress.

"I knew you'd be hiding here."

Lysandra jumped at the voice behind her. "Shit, Leon you almost gave me a heart attack."

"Hell Lysandra if anyone would have a heart attack it would be me. Honestly don't you know how long I've been looking for you?"

"Sorry, I just needed to get away from the crowds. I didn't think my disappearance would affect you so deeply Leon," she said as she placed her bare legs back into the fountain's little pond.

"Have you forgotten that I am your guard Lysandra? If anything happens to you I'm the one that will be punished not you. My job is to protect you and dammit that's what I'm going to do until..."

"Until the Chief calls you in for Timekeeper training," Lysandra interrupted his sentence. "Trust me Leon, I know why you're doing this but, come on, hasn't this become a predictable routine for you? I mean, don't you ever feel like doing something else? What would your dad say Raymond?"

Raymond stiffened at the mention of his father. His father was still in Dayton after all this time, alone without anyone else in the world except for his son Raymond. But Raymond was far from the ghetto now and Raymond's mother Aurora was in a simple urn next to Richard Leon's nightstand where their family photo still stood. However, Leon never forgot about his father. The main reason why Leon never had so little time on his clock was because he mostly sent time to his father so the old man could live to see the day when Raymond would become a truly happy man. During their long phone calls (that obviously Raymond always argued to pay for) Richard Leon was always badgering him to look around for that one special lady, to keep more time for himself and to be happy. "Be happy my son. You deserve it," he'd always say.

Lysandra took notice of Raymond's sturn posture and felt guilty about bringing Leon's father into the subject. "Leon... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

Leon shook his head. "No, it's fine. My dad would probably say the same thing. He's just as insistent as you are, urging me to change my life choices and to do the things I want to do. Or better said, the things I should want to do."

"Like?" Lysandra motioned with her hand for him to explain.

He sat down next to her and got mentally prepared for the deep conversation they would probably be having."Like getting married, having kids, raising a family. You know, all those things people should wish to have in life."

Lysandra giggled softly while Leon gave her an unamused look. "Oh come on Raymond, don't make it seem like you don't dream about getting the perfect storybook life. We all want it. Hell, even I want it too."

Leon raised his brow. "Since when do you want the easy life? You live for adventure. Why would you want to take the easy route?"

"I'm not asking for the easy route. I just want to get something right," Lysandra explained. "I want to find a man who will love me for who I am, I want to have a loving and connected family, I want to have a life where I won't dwell on the past but instead look towards my future. Is that too hard to ask?"

Leon stayed silent, not knowing what to reply, and stared at Lysandra who just kept on swaying her legs in the cool water.

"Aren't you getting cold?" Leon suddenly asked.

Lysandra smiled innocently. "A little."

Without thinking Raymond lifted Lysandra out of the fountain and sat her down on a nearby bench.

"Hey, you could've at least warned me that you were going to do that!" Lysandra complained loudly while pushing Leon away from her.

"Well now I wasn't going to just let you catch a cold Lysandra. Remember you are at a social event with a lot of nosey, annoying people not in the comfort of your own house," Raymond nagged at Lysandra, acting more like a nanny than a guard. "Now here take my jacket and dry off. Your people are awaiting."

Lysandra gave him a glare while he tried to contain his laughter. He knew that she didn't like it when he made snide comments stereotyping Lysandra as a rich, snobby girl from New Greenwich. Yet, despite her current rage at him, she reached over for the black jacket and began to dry off her legs. Leon watched her, intently with more than just a professional gaze.

He shook his head, bewildered by the way he look at the girl he'd known for almost 10 years. _Raymond Leon, what in the world were you thinking? She's your job. You are to protect her and that's all. _He suddenly became ashamed of the way he was looking at the young brunette so he cast his eyes to focus on the starry night above them.

Meanwhile, Lysandra glanced at him from behind her brown curls, confused by his cold behavior. Was he still angry at her? Had she done something wrong?

"Um... is there something wrong Raymond?" she hesitantly asked.

"No, nothing at all. Just hurry up so we can return to the party. People will begin to talk if we're both gone for any longer."

"Sure. Can't have them all imagining things right?" she replied. _I know that one of the girls is bound to bug me for details on where I was hiding. Not to mention why I was alone, well until Raymond arrived, and, knowing these gossipy girls, they probably are going to think we were up to something. _Lysandra blushed uncontrollably at the things she predicted her friends would ask her later when she was out on her little 'adventure'.

"Shall we?" Raymond said to Lysandra while he motioned for her to lead the way.

"Let's go. But first," Lysandra said as she grabbed Leon's wrist. "Did you honestly think I would forget to compensate the time you wasted looking for me?"

Leon chuckled. "Guess I got caught up in the moment." With a pause he looked towards her a little shyly, hesitating with his next sentence. "Thanks."

Lysandra smiled warmly at her guard. "Anytime."

Together they exited the twisting paths of the Labyrinth and tried to endure the countless hours that would go by wasted in this dull party. However, if anyone had been paying closer attention to Miss Steinwald and her loyal guard, they would have seen the stolen glances that both Raymond and Lysandra took at each other the rest of the evening without knowing what this could soon become later on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally! Chapter 4 is here! I honestly could not decide specifically what I wanted to go on in this chapter but I like bringing in another character (if you guys don't like it, please tell me in reviews or messages whatever you like). Chapter 5 is in the works I promise, I'll try to upload when I'm not drowning in school work so I don't know how long it'll take to finish it but I promise I am going to continue writing it for you guys! **

Chapter 4:

"Jesus Lysandra! Were you running away from some hidden jaguars in the basement that I didn't know about?" Raymond grudgingly asked to the out-of-breath brunette at the door of his room.

Lysandra shook her head. "My dad's going to be home any minute now. He's finally back from the European zones!" she exclaimed.

As Leon rose from his chair, Lysandra ran over and unexpectedly hugged him tightly. Startled by her sudden action, Raymond stood there frozen with his arms floating in the air, not knowing what to do in this situation. He wasn't much of a show-your-emotions type of guy but he knew true joy when he saw it, especially right now in Lysandra's hug.

He proceeded to wrap his arms around Lysandra's petite figure and she smiled at the thought that he may finally have warmed up to her. Even if it was for a little while. _Why can't you always be like this Raymond?_

After what seemed hours Leon coughed softly and withdrew his arms from Lysandra.

"You should go. Your father will be here soon and, knowing you, you'll want to look good for him right?"

Though Lysandra was a little hurt from Leon's personal bubble being reactivated, she agreed that she'd better go get ready for her beloved father's arrival to their home. Before she left, Lysandra stood at the doorway observing Leon. "Raymond?"

He looked back at Lysandra as he grabbed a fresh jacket from his small closet. "Yes?"

Lysandra opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it and shook her head. "You know what nevermind."

Leon quickly grabbed her wrist, before she could run to the comfort of her room, and forced her to look at him in the eyes. "Tell me Lysandra."

She retreated her eyes to look at the floor and said the thought that she had on Raymond's future now that her father would arrive. "Well, now that father will be here and he can... umm let's say change things. You don't think that he might... oh I don't know... tell the chief the great progress you've made as my guard all these years." Her cheeks flushed red as her embarrassment increased by each second that ticked away.

Leon chuckled at the foolish girl, yet he knew that it was a thought that circled both of their minds since the day they met. They never knew when Raymond would leave for the Timekeepers, they never knew if they would still keep contact with each other, and they certainly didn't know what kind of relationship category they would fall under. Close acquaintances, old friends, ex-employer and ex-employee? Everything about this situation was too complicated and they dared not think about but it gnawed at them in the back of their minds every day.

"What has to happen will happen," Raymond said.

Lysandra crinkled her nose in annoyance. "Why does it seem like you always talk like a wise old person?"

Leon rolled his eyes. "I'm only thirty-nine years old Lysandra. Sure I'm a middle aged man but remember that we will be twenty-five forever. Now go on, get ready."

"Alright I'm going," Lysandra smiled playfully.

Leon sighed as she left the room, wondering how Reid Steinwald's return to New Greenwich would affect his future. _It's finally going to happen isn't it? I'm might become a Timekeeper. It's all I ever wanted so why am I not happy?_

A black limousine pulled into the smooth gravel driveway of the Steinwald residence and from it a man came out. He radiated power and confidence, everyone treated him with respect but he was a humble man despite his rich origins. He immediately gave time to the driver that had attended him and told him to use it on something nice. It was almost too obvious who the man was.

"Mr. Steinwald it's a pleasure to have you back," the butler said to the brown-haired man.

Reid Steinwald smiled widely. "It's good to be back. Tell me Jarvis, how were things while I was gone?"

"Perfect sir. Absolutely perfect."

"Excellent. Raymond, how has my daughter treated you?" Steinwald called to the stiff man at the top of the staircase.

"Getting more of a handful everyday sir."

Steinwald laughed. "Spoken like a true middle aged man."

The two shook hands and continued to walk inside the house.

"Six months went by slowly like decades yet the house looks the same," Steinwald observed the clean marble floors and beautiful roses in crystal vases.

"Lysandra insists in cleaning the house everyday and keeping it the way Mrs. Steinwald originally had it decorated," the butler explained. All three men lowered their heads in honor of the deceased Lucy Steinwald.

"You know, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of my lovely Lucy," said. "But alas only the Lord can decide how long we can live for right?"

Both the butler and Raymond agreed with their employer despite having any beliefs in religion. The only god they knew about were the people who came from time. They were immortal gods who lived in the riches of the upper time zones that overlooked the poverty and despair of the ghetto without lifting a finger to help.

Yet neither of the two men could despise for being part of the rich who lived forever, he was kind and charitable unlike so many of the others. Steinwald had even admitted to the press that one day he planned to leave this planet like God had intended for all his creations to do but, knowing New Greenwich's stubbornness, who knew if the rich would let such a powerful man die?

"Dad!"

held his arms wide open as Lysandra ran down the stairs and threw herself into her father's protective arms.

"Daddy, I missed you," Lysandra said, getting a little teary eyed.

"I know sweetheart," Steinwald replied as he caressed his daughter's silk hair.

"Don't you dare ever leave me alone for such a long time."

Lysandra could feel her father giving her an eye roll and she laughed.

"Sweetheart, you have the help that's here 24/7 and Raymond, who's always by your side. How can you say that you're alone?" Steinwald pulled away from his daughter and looked at her seriously in the eye. "Also my dear, just remember that wherever I go I'll always be with you. Maybe not by your side but in your heart."

"Why does everyone sound like a wise old person but me?" Lysandra joked as everyone laughed along with her.

"You'll get to learn lots of things as the years go by my dear," Steinwald replied. "But the thing you must take advantage of is the ability to sleep peacefully at night. It's sad that so many people cannot sleep soundly without worrying about the time on their clocks. It is a simple thing the rich take for granted but I see it as a blessing. Which is why I believe it is time for me to rest for the evening."

Steinwald faced his employees and bid them a good nights sleep. He then turned to his daughter and kissed her forehead like the days from when she was a small child.

"One more thing," Steinwald announced as he was at the top of the staircase, overlooking everyone. "Take the day off tomorrow. You will be paid, make no worries about that, just go out and live life."

"Yes sir ," the entire staff chanted in unison.

"That goes for you too Lysandra. I don't want you cooped up in this house just because I'm here resting up from my trip. Tomorrow, you should go out and have fun. Understood?" Steinwald said to Lysandra.

"Yes sir," she jokingly replied.

"Now that that has been established, I hope you all have a good-night's rest. And please enjoy your day off."

**By the way, thanks to julesjumper, HowlynMad and Bambi the Blade for reviewing this fanfic. Sakana-yasha, Destiny Xavier16, TheOneWithTooManyInterests and (this person must really like this fanfic :D ) Bambi the Blade thanks for favoriting this weird little fanfic and let's not forget the followers Delfang, LovefromAlli01, Europixie, trudes193, Destiny Xavier16 and the TheOneWithTooManyInterests. Thanks so much you guys for the motivation! Love ya :)**


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